Day 9 - Prague and the Flooding

We left our safe harbor on June 2, transferred by bus to the Prague Hilton where our luggage was unloaded.  Our bus then took us to the Castle Hill where we were to walk through the castle complex.  Because it was Sunday, the Cathedral of St. Vitus was closed to tourists.  As we walked around it, the wind and rain increased, making sight-seeing practically impossible.  All I remember about the cathedral is that St. Wenceslas is buried there, and is not known by the Czech as the king of the Christmas carol.  Because a Slav princess married an English nobleman, the fanciful story of Wenceslas was born as an English carol.

Our bus tour continued to see a few of the highlights of Prague, including a 250,000 seat stadium built not for Olympics or soccer, but for other competitions; a look at some of the unique architecture and elegant housing of the city; and the famous King Charles Bridge, spanning the now ever-rising river.  After a brief lunch of crepes and cappuccino at a little cafe, we walked around the Old Town, watching as the town employees began to erect a flood barrier along the river in anticipation of the flooding that was sure to come.  (The photo shows the extent of the flooding in the middle of Sunday afternoon.)

In another rainy moment we walked across the King Charles bridge and on through winding cobblestone streets to the Old Town Square to watch the Astronomical Clock mark the hour.  As it did, there was a procession of figures of the apostles past windows that opened above the clock, while smaller figures representing attributes such as vanity, greed, and death moved their arms to ring bells.  It was a charming little show that took about two minutes.

We then walked through a section of the town with elegant homes which had been converted into stores for some of the most expensive outlets and back to the bus.  We returned to the hotel, found our room, and tried to warm up.  At 5:30 p.m. we took a hotel taxi back to the castle complex to an evening of classical music performed in a medieval hall by five string musicians.  The acoustics were so good that it sounded like a small orchestra.

We're home now, after an uneventful flight with good airline food (love the European airlines!).  All in all, it was a great trip, and now we look forward to next year's cruise on the Rhone River. 

Day 8 - Litomerice and a Change of Plans

As you have read in the various blogs this week, we have had a lot of rain.  In fact, we have had so much rain that the Elbe River is flooding.  As we have traveled upstream, we have watched the level of the river rise ever higher on the banks, and now overflowing some of them.  This is a problem for our Viking ship, as the high water reduces the clearance under some of the older bridges along the way, and breaches the docking stations where we would disembark.

After a morning session to go over the details of leaving the ship tomorrow for the hotel in Prague, we visited the ship's wheelhouse where the captain and program director gave us an orientation as to how the ship is navigated.  After lunch, we were called together again in the lounge for a briefing on the flooding and its effect on our cruise.  We were told we would be able to make our secheduled visit to Litomerice, a small historic Czech town, but that we would not be able to go further upstream, as the docks there were already flooded.  After the visit to Litomerice, our ship would turn around and go back downstream to a commercial safe harbor built after the 2002 flood.  It would be there where the buses would pick us up tomorrow morning to go on to Prague.

Our visit to Litomerice was eventful.  A portable gangway was deployed as the ship's entrance was already about six feet above the dock (normally we would walk straight out from the entrance to the dock).  The rain was still heavy, so Jan and I pulled on our raincoats and got out the umbrellas and slogged along following the guide.  Our tour took us through the town's market place and on to a local micro-brewery where we were able to sample three of the brews and see the brewing equipment.  The rain let up a bit, so then it was a walk through the market square to the St. Stephen's Cathedral, to visit an example of the early baroque style of architecture.

Our day ended with the Captain's Farewell dinner at which this picture was taken.  While we dined, the captain navigated us into the commercial shipyard.  It was another confirmation for me about the care with which Viking takes care of its guests.  Even if the water gets higher, we are safe and will be able to make our way tomorrow to Prague for one more day of this great vacation.

 Day 7 - Saxon Switzerland, Germany and Decin, Czech Republic

The sun finally made more than a brief appearance today and it was most welcome.  The morning was devoted to a presentation by our Program Director on the history of the Czech Republic, his homeland.  It started in 1938 with a Munich Treaty between Hitler's Germany, England and France, which gave Hitler a section of what was then known as Bohemia, a homeland of Czechs and Slovaks.  After the war, the country became Czechoslovakia, under Communist rule.  Finally, after the Berlin Wall came down, after a so-called "velvet revolution", Russia ceded control and the area became two sovereign countries -- the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic.

The area through which the Elbe flows at the eastern end of Germany is quite mountainous and became known as the Saxon Switzerland.  The afternoon tour took us to a famous site known as the Bastei rock formation.  It is a series of sandstone columns formed by water action over eons of time.  A fortress had been built there, but later became the favorite spot of painters and rock-climbers.  A stone bridge, some 600 feet above the Elbe was built in the 18th century and became a magnet for those wanting a terrific vantage from which to see the Elbe Valley.  We climbed down to the bridge and crossed it (along with several hundred other tourists, even a bride and groom celebrating their wedding.

Tonight we are docked at a Czech town called Decin.  However, we are not at our regular Viking dock -- it has rained so much that the river has risen above the level of the dock, so we are tied up to the rock wall next to the village.  The river may flood below where we are, but as we are heading upstream, it should not be a problem.  And there is no concern that the water will be too low for safe passage!

Tomorrow we experience more of the Czech Republic and will spend the last night on the ship.  The day after, we will visit Prague and stay one night in that city. 

Day 6 - Dresden
As I noted yesterday, because it was a transportation center, Dresden was bombed in WWII, with 80-85 percent of the city destroyed. Today it is a bustling city again.  On our walking tour of the city this morning, we were reminded again of the destruction, but were able to marvel at the incredible reconstruction which had taken place.  Major public buildings, such as the opera house, the Frauenkirche, and the Zwinger (a series of buildings created as a leisure space by one of the emperors) have been restored to their former glory. We visited the so-called "Green Vault", where rare and exotic items collected by the royal families over the centuries have been given a museum setting.

After lunch, Jan and I headed back to the Dresden Old Town, first to stop at the city church for a look at the baroque altar and pulpit, and then on to the Old Masters wing of the Zwinger museum.  There we saw major works from the 17th and 18th century, collected by the Saxon royalty.  Unfortunately, no photos were allowed, but the displays were impressive.  The rain began to fall steadily, so when walking back to the ship, we were grateful to have worn our raincoats.

In the evening, we headed back to the Old Town for a quick supper of German meats, cheeses and farmer bread, then we were ready to attend a concert of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic at the Frauenkirche which included works by Haydn, Britten and Schubert.  The Frauenkirche, the largest church in the city, was rebuilt after the war.  It has a high, vaulted ceiling under a rotunda and wonderful acoustics.  We had a great time.

Tomorrow we start upriver again into what is called the Saxon Switzerland because of the more mountainous terrain.  In the evening we will leave Germany and enter the Czech Republic.

Day 5 - Meissan and Dresden





The day started with a rainbow. We had just finished dressing and opened the cabin curtains to see a beautiful, complete rainbow stretching over the lush green shoreline.  It has been a very wet Spring for this part of Germany, so everything is abundant.  The Elbe is full to, even overflowing, the banks.

During the morning, the Program Director and the Captain provided a first-hand account of the "millennial" flood on the Elbe which occurred in 2002.  It devastated parts of the area we were later to visit, including Meissen and Dresden.  After that, the restaurant manager offered a wine-tasting event featuring wines grown in the Meissen area.  The weather was still nice, so we spent a little time on the sun deck, at which time this picture was taken.

After lunch we departed in a rain storm for the town of Meissen to visit the factory in which Meissen porcelain is manufactured.  I knew nothing of this porcelain, so we were happy to find that the company has provided for tourists a series of demonstrations of the various steps in making these items.  Everything is still made by hand, from the casting of the pieces from clay, to the initial design, to the painting, to the glazing, to the firing.  Because it is so labor-intensive, the cost of the final products is very steep -- a small demitasse cup was price at about $80.  We didn't buy anything.

After the porcelain factory tour, we had the opportunity to walk to the top of the hill overlooking the town, where the Albrectsburg castle and the cathedral were built.  The castle had the distinction of being the first German castle to be built solely as a residence for the royal family, so while it was located at the highest point, there were no provisions for the defense of the place.  The cathedral was originally Roman Catholic, but following the Reformation, became a Lutheran church.

Walking down 111 steps brought us to the market square of the town where we checked out the St. Mary's church and spent some time window-shopping before returning to the bus (again in a rain storm).  The weather cleared and we sailed on the Dresden, arriving there just after dinner.  As we approached our docking place in the heart of the city, the Program Director gave us a travelogue, pointing out the major buildings.  He reminded us that eighty percent of Dresden was totally destroyed during World War II and that the restoration had been a major feat.

Tomorrow, we will explore Dresden, have some free time in the afternoon, and attend a violin concert in the evening.  This will be another full day!

Day 4 - Wittenberg

The morning tour for today was Wittenberg -- now known as Lutherstadt-Wittenberg -- the small city in which the Reformer Martin Luther lived and worked.  Our guide led us first through the Luther House, originally an Augustinian monastery but gifted to Luther by the Prince Protector Philip the Wise.  It was in this house (now a museum) where Martin married Katrina and translated the Bible into German.  While Martin was thus engaged, Katrina raised their children, housed students and brewed beer, ultimately making more money than her husband.

From there the guide led us through the Old Town to the city church where Martin preached.  Many of the town's buildings as well as the church are undergoing renovations in anticipation of the 300th anniversary of the start of the Reformation in 2017, we could not see the main altar with its altarpiece designed by Luther Cranach the Elder.  The piece is remarkable because it includes the figure of Martin in the depiction of the Last Supper.

The obligatory stop at the town square was a good thing -- Jan found a yarn store where she was able to buy some sock yarn not available at home. We also saw the town water system set up in the 16th century, with a series of fountains offering clean water to the populace.

Our last stop was the Castle Church on which door Martin Luther posted his 95 theses that sparked the Reformation.  Like the other buildings, it too is undergoing renovation, so we were only able to see the famous door (recreated since a fire destroyed the original) at a distance.

The afternoon was spent cruising up the Elbe toward Torgau.  The area through which we passed is a broad, fertile valley with fields under cultivation and beef and dairy cattle grazing along the banks.  Especially for this former farm boy, the view was wonderful!  Also in the afternoon, the Viking pastry chef demonstrated the making of Saxonian Quarkkeulchen -- it's like a sweet potato pancake -- and we were invited to visit the ship's galley.  It's amazing to see the small space that produces such delicious meals.

After dinner we disembarked at Torgau to see the site at which the Allied army and the Russian/Ukrainian army met and joined forces, effectively beginning the end of the Second World War.

Tomorrow we travel on to Meissen to see how the priceless Meissen porcelain is made, and on to Dresden to begin exploring that city.

Day 3 - Dessau

Following breakfast, we boarded buses to travel to Dessau, a small city on the Elbe, to visit the Worlitz Park.  The park is the first English-style garden in Germany, created by Prince Franz Anhalt-Dessau and modeled after the gardens he saw while visiting England.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage site covering more than 17 square miles.  A highlight of the visit was a gondola tour across one small lake and around an island in the lake, with fifteen people in the boat, propelled by one man with oars.  The park and gardens were lush, with rhododendron of several colors in full bloom.

On the way back to the ship we had the opportunity to drive past the original Bauhaus School which had been founded in the 1930's in Dessau.  The school produced such as Walter Groupius and Mies Vander Rhohe, but was closed by the Nazis and later by the Communists.  Only now are its buildings being restored and its importance to the world of art and architecture being recognized again.

In the afternoon, the weather turned nice -- the sun came out, the breeze was gentle.  It was time to go up on the sun deck to watch the river unfold ahead of us as we made our way toward Wittenberg.

In preparation for our visit tomorrow to Wittenberg, the city associated with Martin Luther, our Viking Program Director gave a short lecture on Luther and the impact of the Reformation in this immediate area.  In the evening, local performers provided a musical skit with actresses impersonating Martin Luther's wife, Katrina, and a fictional neighbor.  It was a charming way to make personal this theological giant.

We are warned that Wittenberg is making capital as the home of Luther, including souvenirs and kitsch, including socks embroidered with Luther's famous words "Here I stand, I can do no other."  It ought to be interesting...